THInkPen, a smart pen for early screening of dysgraphia

A study by Politecnico di Milano and the University of Insubria of Varese and Como has been published on THInkPen (Tele-Health Ink Pen), the patented and sensorized ink pen designed for the early screening of writing difficulties. The research involved over 700 children throughout primary and lower secondary school, who used the pen during two BVSCO-3 tests: the Battery for the Clinical Assessment of Writing and Orthographic Skills. This is the most widely used test in Italy to assess writing difficulties, dysgraphia and dysorthography.

Unlike other screening tools, THInkPen allows users to write on paper, just like with a regular pen, while providing a wealth of detailed information. The data collected were used to extract digital indicators related to different characteristics of writing, such as pressure on the paper, movement fluency, pen inclination and the frequency of signals detected by the sensors. The data were subsequently analysed using artificial intelligence algorithms, revealing significant relationships between the digital indicators and clinical scores. Binary classification models also distinguished students with writing difficulties from the others, while explainable artificial intelligence techniques identified the reasons underlying below-average performance.